In the Year 2007 Sterling Stratton put together a picture book entitled The Complete Book of Island Churches At The Turn Of The Century. It included 302 Pen & Ink Sketches done in 2000, including all churches in Prince County, Queens County, Kings County, Summerside & Charlottetown, in other words, all the churches on the Island. This sketch can be found in the top right corner of Page 1 of that book.
The church's name,
Gordon Memorial, came about as the result of the murder of its Reverend, George N. Gordon, and his wife and his brother Reverend James D. Gordon in the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific while doing missionary work. George and his wife were murdered by the natives in 1861, while James was murdered later, in 1872.
This church was built to replace the earlier Presbyterian Church, which burned. In 1927, two years after it became a United Church with Church Union in Canada, the church was moved 150 metres west while, at the same time, the Methodist church was moved 150 metres to the east, with, as I understand it, the two churches trading places. Though no longer a church, the Methodist church, now the Alberton Arts & Cultural Centre, still stands on this church's original location.
This church is a part of the Alberton-Elmsdale Pastoral Charge of the Prince Edward Island Presbytery. There are six church buildings in this three-point Pastoral Charge. The three official congregations are: Alberton, Elmsdale, and Miminegash. The other three buildings, Campbellton, Cascumpec, and Montrose, are used only in the summer.
History of Gordon Memorial Church
In 1925, the Alberton Presbyterian Pastoral Charge became part of The United Church of Canada. The Methodist church was moved to another lot and became the church home of the Presbyterians who did not enter union. The Old Dock Church was moved to the former site of the Methodist Church and became Alberton United Church.
In 1970, the congregations at Alberton, Montrose, and Cascumpec united to become Gordon Memorial. The Alberton Church is designated "Gordon Memorial" in honour of missionaries to New Hebrides (Erromanga) -- the Reverends George N., and wife Ellen, and James D. Gordon who were martyred.
From United Church Archives
Page 15.